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| Tarfala Lake, northern Sweden. Image by Hasegawa Takashi |
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A GREETING
Like a stag, a doe,
longing for streams of cool water,
my whole being longs for you, my God.
(Psalm 42:1 TIB)
A READING
Then God said, “Earth: bring forth all kinds of living soul — cattle, things that crawl, and wild animals of all kinds!” So it was: God made all kinds of wild animals, and cattle, and everything that crawls on the ground, and God saw that this was good.
(Genesis 1:24-25 TIB)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
Let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
so that those who love your name may exult in you.
(Psalm 5:11 NRSV)
A POEM
These flowers, bushes
the wind
these animals, the birds
the stones, the waters
the landscape
my brothers, sisters of mine
these most beautiful, kin
my dear ones, beloved
the only
this proud, beautiful grazing land
a bond
to life
- "these flowers, bushes..." by Nils-Aslak Valkeapää
translated by Lars Nordström and Harald Gaski,
found on lassagammi.no, a site dedicated to the poet's work
VERSE OF THE DAY
God makes my feet as agile as a deer’s,
and teaches me to walk on my high places.
(Habbakuk 3:19 TIB)
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| Reindeer near Kiruna, Sweden. Image by Swedish Institute |
Sweden and Finland are two countries that do not have coastal territory on the Arctic Ocean but which are considered part of the Arctic region. They are bordered by the waters of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia. Northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia are home to the Sámi people who have lived in this region (known to them as Sápmi) as Indigenous peoples for millenia.
The reindeer are the heart and soul of daily living for the Sámi people who have herded them for centuries, making use of every aspect of the animal. Every part of the reindeer appears in the Sámi creation story. The Sámi believe that the world began with a great white reindeer whose fur became the forests and grasslands, whose veins became the rivers, whose skull became the sky and whose eyes are the stars.
Currently, the Sámi people are threatened by climate change. As a nomadic community, they are used to moving with the herds through the eight seasons of their way of life. Changing Arctic landscapes, however, means that the herds themselves are dwindling and suffering, in part due to much less snowfall. In the Sámi culture everything is inter-related. The relationship of the land to the animals and the people is sacred.
“Kulning” is an ancient practice of non-Indigenous Swedish farming women, who use their voice to call in the cattle. It is a technique taught from mother to daughter, in the way that the practice of throat singing is in Indigenous cultures. The cattle understand and know the voice of the woman, and respond only to her voice. Sometimes, when the woman is sick or away, they stay out for days, waiting for that voice. In some cases, they have to be manually brought in by farming hands.
Below, we hear about the Sámi ‘yoik’ singing as well. These two kinds of song grow out of a deep love for the land and its creatures. How can we use our voices, in protest and in song, to help uphold ancient sacred practices? What are the songs of our own story that keep us strong?
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A SONG OF RESISTANCE
Today’s music derives from a tradition known as the ‘yoik’, a unique form of folk singing belong to the Sami people. The yoik conveys stories from generation to generation. In this video, some Sámi practitioners of the yoik explain how it works.
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Resources in today's devotion:
Scripture passages are taken from The Inclusive Bible.
The meditative verse is from the New Revised Standard Version.
Jonna Jinton is a Swedish youtuber who reflects on a life of living off the land in northern Sweden. She is a visual artist, musician and jeweler. See her website.
To learn more about the practice of 'kulning' go here.
For more on the tradition and history of the 'yoik,' go here.
Nils-Aslak Valkeapää was a renowned Sámi artist, poet, musician and cultural ambassador. Born in Finland, but living in Norway, his composition helped to bring forward the 'yoik' tradition musically. Read more here.
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LC† Streams of Living Justice is a devotional series of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!